Friday, January 09, 2015

I've returned to an old friend today. We've been apart for a good number of months now... a longer stretch than ever in our 10+ year relationship. It is probably not a friend that many would recognize and certainly not one that many would understand. In fact, its quite possible that some who had suspected that I had lost all sense will have all doubt removed. The relationship that I'm referring to is this space where thoughts go from my heart, hopefully stopping long enough in my brain to wrestle with their appropriateness, and are then interpreted on this keyboard. You may not recognize this as a legitimate friendship, but as proof I'd offer a few of the following thoughts. First of all, the most meaningful relationships, as I'd define them consist of sharing ... shared struggle, shared experience, shared conversation. Real friendships consist of communication and time and investment. All of these have been part of our relationship, this page and I. I need only to go back through the archives of this blog for smiles, tears, and memories shared between us. Obviously ours is a relationship than only another introvert can truly understand.
There is one other thing about a true friendship that I find particularly encouraging today as I wander back. This one, and perhaps most important, defining of true friendship is the ability to come back together at random times, sometimes far more distant than either one cares for, and be able to immediately be back in sync like no time had passed at all. That is my prayer for this new year and this new post. I'm longing to return to the company of this old friend.
These past few months have been some of the most difficult since our relationship began, and like any true introvert, it seems as if I chose to pull away. It's not that I didn't think about it. I often did... and if I wasn't thinking about it I often had others who were reminding me and encouraging me to return. It's quite possible that our continued conversation may have provided some light along an often seemingly darkened path. I guess I will really never know.
What I do know is this, that when I was ready, like a true cherished friend, this space was right here where I left it and we can begin again, right where we left off ... wandering the road together.